Benchmarking organisations have a mutual interest in promoting benchmarking as an improvement process. As separate entities, these organisations may have independent memberships, suites of activities and geographic coverage. Nonetheless, it is in the mutual interest of the respective organisations to promote open communication and pursue certain co-operative efforts.

Hence they have agreed to an affiliation known as the Global Benchmarking Network (GBN). The Global Benchmarking Network (GBN) is an alliance of leading bench-marking centres worldwide who share a common vision and mission. Current Membership comprises 19 benchmarking centres in 19 countries which represent more than 30,000 businesses and government agencies.

The GBN was founded in November 1994 by representatives from bench-marking centres in Germany, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. The GBN is a non-profit organization. Funding comes from affiliates' annual fees and other sources approved at the annual meeting. It has a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, and a Secretary General. The GBN comprises benchmarking centres in the following countries: Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Dubai, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zea-land, Poland, Russia, Slovak Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK and USA. New Affiliates - which are the leading benchmarking centre in that country - are welcome and should contact the GBN Secretary for af-filiation details.

4th International Best Practice Conference, 27-28 October 2009, Bahrain

Please visit the Conference Website for further information.

Today's deepening financial crisis is biting the real economy, dragging western nations into severe slumps, and choking world trade. More than ever before it is only the fittest that will survive. So how can an organisation survive and grow in today’s economic climate?

A key mechanism to do this is through benchmarking - learning from the experience of others. Through benchmarking you can learn how other organisations are responding to the economic downturn and adapt and implement their best practices to lead your organisation to future success, to achieve this we need to improve our understanding and share our experiences.

Aimed at businesses, business leaders, managers, and professionals who want practical ideas and solutions for improving the performance of their organisation, this event is also a stage for academics who want to share their business research findings. The Conference will have presentations from some of the world’s best business speakers and scholars.

The Conference also provides an opportunity for all business practitioners, professionals, and researchers to submit papers and share their experiences.